


Do It For Him

by ZoisiteMoon



Series: Eyes on Me [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Aromantic Peridot (Steven Universe), Autistic Alexandrite (Steven Universe), Autistic Character, Autistic Peridot (Steven Universe), Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Celebration of Life, Death in Childbirth, F/F, F/M, Implied Preeclampsia, Implied Pregnancy Loss, Implied miscarriage, NICU, Premature Birth, Premature Labor, Trans Female Character, Trans Ruby (Steven Universe)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoisiteMoon/pseuds/ZoisiteMoon
Summary: Rose and Greg revel in a new change in their shared life. However, it's not just a change that will affect the soon-to-be parents. It's a change that will ripple to their loved ones and eventually the whole community. This change is equal parts joyous and tragic. How will Ruby and Sapphire deal with this event that will change them forever?
Relationships: Rose Quartz/Greg Universe, Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe)
Series: Eyes on Me [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1451692
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

_“She had waited all her life for something, and it had killed her when it found her.” ― Zora Neale Hurston_

"Sapphire, Ruby!" I can hear Rose yell from my bedroom. "Come out here! Greg and I have big news to share with you!"

I'm still a little bit drowsy from waking up. I look over to Ruby and try to shake her awake with one hand. I want her and Garnet to hear what Greg and Rose have to say. As soon as I'm fully awake, I make my way over to the other side of the bed and try to shake Ruby awake again. This time, Ruby comes to.

"W-What is it, Sapphy?" Ruby asks me.

"I heard Rose say that she and Greg had news for us. Do you want to hear what it is?"

Ruby nods despite being half-asleep. "Yeah, what do you think it is?"

"Well, that's what I'd like to know myself. Now c'mon, get up. We need to hear what she has to say."

After I've woken up both Ruby and Garnet, we make our way into the living room where Rose and Greg have gathered Pearl and Amy. I have Ruby and Garnet join me on the couch where we wait to hear Rose and Greg's big news.

"So, uh..." Ruby begins. "Rose, what is it you wanted to tell us?"

"Yeah, the suspense is killing me!" Amy chimes in.

Rose seems anxious to just get it out there, but with a little prompting from Greg, she finally says something. "Well, you know how Greg and I had been spending most of our time alone?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Amy asks back.

"Well..." Rose's eyes dart off to one side of the living room. "Let's just say something came out of that..."

"In other words, we're pregnant!" Greg adds.

Rose suddenly perks up. "Yes, exactly! This is so exciting!"

Pearl clears her throat uncertainly. "So when is it... due?"

"Around the middle of November," Rose replies. "Just in time for Thanksgiving!"

"Cool." Amy starts to get up. "Aight, I'm gonna head out. I gotta go get some pizza."

"Wait, take me with you!" Pearl yells out as Amy heads for the door. "I need to get some food, too."

Amy just laughs. "Wow, the picky eater wants to come with me to get food? I never thought I'd see the day."

Pearl just rolls her eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny. Now hurry up! I can't wait to get out of the house."

With one quick movement, Pearl slams the door behind her and she and Amy have left. Now it's me, Ruby, Garnet, Rose, and Greg.

"I can't wait for Thanksgiving!" Garnet just blurts out.

Ruby just chuckles at this. "Me neither, Garnet. Me neither."

Greg kneels down to Garnet's level. "Are you excited about your new best friend?"

Garnet nods vigorously. She's been waiting for this moment for her entire life.

"I can tell you are, Garnet," Greg says. "I just hope you and the baby will stick together through everything. Rose and I have wanted to have a kid for a long time, and now we're finally getting one."

“That’s right,” Rose joins in. “I’ve waited for this moment ever since I was twelve!”

“You’ve wanted it that badly, huh?” Ruby asks while amused.

Rose nods. “I’m just lucky I also have Greg to do this with me.”

“Yeah,” Greg agrees. “This is something I didn’t know I even wanted!”

“I’m so happy for you guys,” I tell him. “Everything changes when you have a baby. You have someone to love besides yourselves and you have one more reason to keep on living.”

Greg just chuckles nervously. “Yeah...”

“What’s wrong?” I ask him. “Aren’t you happy?”

“Of course we are. It’s just...” Greg looks down for a bit. “We tried for a while to get to this moment that we thought we’d never get.” He then suddenly starts to perk up again. “And you know what? I think all that heartbreak and all those false starts were worth it.”

Rose nods despite having just been reminded of what she lost. “Yes, that’s right. Hopefully, it’ll stick this time.”

Ruby and I just look at each other awkwardly. We never imagined the conversation would go this direction.

“Thanks for having faith in us, Sapphire,” Greg tells me. “You too, Ruby. I doubt this would’ve happened without your support.”

Ruby just smirks. “No problem. It was the least we could do.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Ruby and I have decided to leave Garnet at home with Pearl and Amy while we meet up with Peri and Alexandra for lunch. We need to talk to someone about the news we were given yesterday, especially something as big as this. We've known Peri and Alexandra long enough that we know we can talk to them about anything that crosses our minds.

As we enter Kofi’s pizza place, Ruby, Peri, Alexandra, and I talk for a bit about what we were up to yesterday. I’m enticed to hear what Peri has to say, so I let her go first.

“Last night,” Peri begins. “I managed to get my hands on another game for my Wii.”

“Really?” Alexandra asks her. “What kind of game?”

“Well...” Peri’s eyes dart back and forth as if she’s worried someone will hear us. “I’ve managed to get my hands on ‘Animal Crossing: City Folk.’”

“Awesome,” Alexandra simply replies.

“Sure is. I love Animal Crossing. It’s my favorite game franchise.”

“Mine too.”

“How about you, Alexandra? What did you do yesterday?”

“I was tending to my plants. I wanted to make sure they were fed.”

Peri tries to show enthusiasm for Alexandra’s plants. “Sounds neat. What else did you do?”

“Got on Facebook and talked with some friends. Then I went out to lunch with my friend Sookie and I got myself some Totino’s Pizza Rolls for dinner.”

“Sounds like you had an interesting day.”

“I sure did.”

After Alexandra is done talking, Peri turns to me. “What about you, Sapphire? How did you and Ruby spend the day?”

“Oh, well...” I think of the best way I can describe how yesterday turned out. “Rose and Greg announced that they were expecting.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Alexandra exclaims. “I love babies!”

I just giggle. “Anyway, Ruby and I were happy for them. Rose said that she’s due in the middle of November, so now we have a reason to look forward to Thanksgiving.”

“They must have had lots of sex,” Alexandra pointlessly adds.

“Yeah,” Peri chimes in. “That... kinda goes without saying.”

I keep on talking. “Well, let’s hope Rose and Greg will enjoy this baby. They tried for so long to get there, and now they have it.”

“I’m happy they’re happy,” Alexandra says.

I nod. “Me too.”

* * *

On our way home, Ruby and I decide to stop by the Big Donut and see if Lars and Sadie are there. If only for a little bit, whenever Ruby and I visit them at work, we always seem to brighten up their day. Sadie, in particular, seems to work so hard at it. This is especially when it comes to her having to take classes at the University of Delaware at the same time. Lars has been pretty hush-hush about what goes on in his private life. I don’t really know that much about him beyond the Big Donut, but maybe that’s the idea.

“Hey, Lars,” I greet him the moment Ruby and I walk through the entrance. “Hey, Sadie. How are you guys?”

“Fine,” Lars grumbles.

“Great,” Sadie replies cheerfully.

“That’s good,” Ruby says. “Sapphire and I have an announcement to make.”

“You’re not pregnant again, are you?” Lars snidely asks.

I shake my head. “We stopped at perfection five years ago. Actually, it’s a couple friends of ours who are expecting.”

“Oh, cool,” Sadie replies. “Congrats to them. So when is it due?”

“Rose said it would be the middle of November.”

“Wait, Rose and Greg are having a baby?”

“Yeah, isn’t that great?”

“Totally!” Sadie then makes her way over to behind the counter. “So... is there anything you want while you’re here?”

“Oh yeah, get us some donuts to celebrate!” Ruby replies excitedly.

“Sure thing, Ruby. What kind?”

“Okay, the first row is strawberry, the second row is vanilla, the third row is chocolate, and the fourth row should be red velvet. Forty-six donuts overall.”

“Wow, guess those donuts are for everyone in the house, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. That’ll be $383.04, please.”

Ruby and I proceed to pay for the box of forty-six donuts and then head on home with our bought goods.

* * *

Once we’ve made it home, Ruby and I decide to put the box of donuts out on the kitchen table. Almost immediately afterwards, as if somehow sensing the doughnuts’ collective presence, Garnet and Amy ran right over to where we are.

“Oh, cool, you’re finally home,” Amy says. “Garnet and I had a great day.”

“Really now?” I ask curiously. “Did you guys have fun?”

“Yeah!” Garnet replies delightfully. “Amy got me ice cream!”

“Then I took her to the pizza place,” Amy chimed in. “Pearl came, too, but she only had a little slice.”

“Guess that means you and Garnet aren’t hungry, then, right?” I ask again.

Amy tilts her head at me in confusion. “How’d you know?”

I innocently shrug. “Just a feeling.”

It’s at that moment that Greg and Rose walk in towards where we are. It seems they’ve already come home from somewhere, but we’re not sure where exactly.

“Oh, hey, Greg,” I greet him. “I didn’t know you and Rose had gone out.”

“Yeah, we just decided to walk around and see what was going on,” Greg says. “It’s starting to feel a lot like spring around here.”

“Oh, I bet,” Ruby replies. “Have you even seen how beautiful the flowers are this time of day?” She starts to get a little bit teary-eyed. “They’re so beautiful.”

“Anyway...” I begin. “There’s donuts over there on the table if you want some.”

“Oh, thanks, Sapphire,” Greg says. “Rose and I appreciate that.”

I smile. "No problem. So how has Rose been? She must be really excited to have that baby."

"She's been great."

“I bet. Is there anything you want us to help you with right now?”

“Not really. Rose and I have been trying to wrap our heads around this since three days ago. Thanks anyway.”

“Well, if you need anything, just let us know.”

“Will do.”

* * *

A couple days pass, and Ruby and Garnet and I are soon going out to eat at Kofi's pizza place. The restaurant seems tightly packed today. We might as well be sardines here with how little space there is. As a result, we don’t know which one of the few dining areas we can sit at. After ordering and receiving our respective pizzas, we bustle through at least ten people before finally arriving at a small table that could easily seat all three of us.

“It’s so nice to go out to eat as a family,” I remark while enjoying a slice of pizza. “I’m sure Pearl and Amy appreciate that they’ve got free time on their hands.”

“Yeah,” Ruby agrees. “I’m so glad we could spend this time together right here at Kofi’s.”

“Two guys are gonna approach us,” Garnet suddenly speaks up.

Ruby just tilts her head at our daughter. “What? What are you talking about, baby?”

“A couple guys are gonna come here.”

“I don’t understand.”

Garnet softly gasps when she sees two men approach our table. “It’s them.”

I turn my head to see the two men she’s pointing at. What could they want from us?


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh, can we help you?" I ask the two men who've approached us.

I manage to catch a quick look at them. They don't appear to be from around here, at least not with those fancy white suits they're wearing. The two men also have fancy gold watches and jewelry, clearly worn to be status symbols. The first man is bald and has a goatee. The second man has a beard and seems to be wearing an obvious toupee. Ruby and I can’t help but gawk at these two strange men. Not Garnet, though; it’s almost like she knew that these were the specific men she was talking about.

“Of course,” the first man replies. “My name is Gustavo, and the man beside me with the beard is Rogelio.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” I tell them. “So what brings you to our table?”

“Well, we heard that a talented singer lived here with her family,” Gustavo answers succinctly. “Her name’s Sapphire Dahl. Have you heard of her?”

“Heard of her? I am her.”

Gustavo is flummoxed by my answer. “Wait, you? You’re Sapphire Dahl?”

I nod. “Yep.”

“Hold on now,” Ruby suddenly cuts in. “What exactly do you want with my girlfriend?”

“Well, we were going to tell her that there was a singing contest she could enter,” Gustavo says. “Isn’t that right, Rogelio?”

“Exactly,” Rogelio agrees. “We heard from her Aunt Golda that Sapphire was a very talented singer. We would ask her to sign a contract with us right now, but she’ll have to prove herself worthy in the contest first.”

Now it’s Gustavo’s turn to speak. “If you win the contest, you will have to move on down to New York City and start your music career with us.”

“I don’t know...” Ruby states hesitantly. “Could you excuse us for a sec?”

“But of course,” Gustavo answers. “Take your time.”

Ruby turns her head away from the two men and she starts quietly talking with me.

“Sapphire, does this sound like something you should go for?” Ruby asks me.

“I mean, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, right? It’s not that big of a deal, Ruby. We could always come back here to visit.”

“But what about our friends? Do we want to leave them behind again?”

“Like I said, we could always come back here to visit. If this works out, Garnet might love New York.”

“I don’t know, Sapphire... I mean, what if it’s a repeat of what happened to us back in England? I can’t go through all that pain again. It’s awful.”

“I know, but maybe it won’t be so bad. It’s good to be optimistic on these things.”

“Well, yeah, but Sapphy... I just want to make sure you’re not going to hurt anyone by doing this.”

“I won’t, trust me. It’ll be fine.”

“Suit yourself.” Ruby turns her attention back to Gustavo and Rogelio. “Alright, Sapphire wants to do the contest.”

“Wonderful,” Rogelio says. “Application for the contest starts next week. You have until August 15th to practice.”

“It’s a deal,” I tell him. “Where is the contest going to be exactly?”

“The rec center.”

“Ah. Okay, just tell me where I have to go to apply and I’ll do that.”

“Will do.”

* * *

It’s been four days since I applied for the contest. I have no idea when I’ll hear back from Gustavo or Rogelio, but hopefully it will be soon. Unless... maybe I won’t hear back from them and it was all for nothing. Then again, I know squat about them besides the fact that they have ties with Aunt Goldie. Maybe they’re willing to give me a chance because I’m her niece and therefore, I may be more inclined to follow in her footsteps. For now, I’ll have to wait and see.

Ruby wonders when I’ll stop worrying about getting that one phone call or one e-mail that will determine what happens next. I know she’s worried about possibly having to uproot everything if I win or possibly helping me cope with my dreams being crushed if I lose. If there’s one thing I can be certain of, it’s that she’ll support me no matter what happens.

Ruby and I have just finished eating dinner with Pearl, Amy, Rose, and Greg... and then it happens. I can hear the phone ringing. Without even so much as a second thought, I get up from my seat and rush over to the phone, eager to hear whatever it is Gustavo and Rogelio have to say. I pick up before the final ring.

“H-Hello,” I stammer nervously.

“Miss Dahl, is that you?” Gustavo asks.

“Yes, it’s me. Did you call about the contest?”

“I sure did. Rogelio and I went over your application last night, and boy, do we have news for you.”

“Uh-huh, what is it? Did I get in?” I don’t hear anything on the other end for ten seconds. “Hello?”

“Yes, of course you got in.” Gustavo chuckles a bit. “I didn’t mean to make you freak out just now. Anyway, I’m sure Golda will be somewhat happy to hear that her niece will be singing again.”

“Oh, that’s great!” I turn to look at Ruby for a bit before speaking again. “I’m sure Ruby and Garnet will be happy to hear about it, too.”

“Alright, see you on August 15th. Rogelio and I can’t wait to hear you sing.”

“Alright, bye bye.”

* * *

“So you signed up for a music contest, huh?” Greg asks me.

“Yep,” I simply respond.

“And you got in?”

“Yep. I’ve got until August 15th to prepare for this thing. Do you think you guys can help me practice?”

Greg nods. “Sure. What are friends for?”

“Thanks, Greg. I knew I could count on you.” I get up from the couch and head for the door. “I’m gonna go buy some CDs to help me get in the mood. I also need to figure out what song I’m gonna sing for Gustavo and Rogelio.” I hesitate slightly, knowing he hasn’t heard of them. “Gustavo and Rogelio are the guys who approached me about doing the contest.”

“Ah. So how did they know that you were here?”

“I’m not sure myself. They said they heard from my Aunt Goldie that I was a talented singer, but not how they knew I was living in Beach City. Maybe it was word of mouth or something.”

“I tried word of mouth when I first started touring. Only, like, a few people found out about me. Rose was the only one who showed up to my live show, and I wouldn’t change anything about it for the world.”

“That’s sweet. Alright, I’m going. There’s got to be someplace that sells Rihanna and Britney Spears CDs.”

With that, I head out the door and make my way towards a music store.


	4. Chapter 4

A couple months have passed since I applied for Gustavo and Rogelio's music concert. I've been steadily getting accustomed to the idea of singing for an audience again. Meanwhile, Greg and Rose have been preparing for their little one.

I can’t help but see how excited they are that they’ll finally have a child, something Rose must’ve thought was impossible after all the setbacks she encountered. Now that it’s within her grasp, she’s taking this opportunity to make sure it doesn’t slip away from her again. I guess, in a way, her dream of becoming a mom is like my dream of becoming a singer. Then again, maybe I’m just being silly.

Anyhow, I’ve been practicing just about every day for this music contest. I’ve been practicing with Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Ke$ha, and even Evanescence. I’m not sure which of their songs I should use for the contest, but I’m inclined to pick Evanescence’s song “My Immortal” and hopefully sing myself to victory.

While practicing for the fourth time this week, Ruby takes a sit on the couch and starts talking to me.

“I’m so proud of you, Sapphy,” she tells me. “You really seem to know what you want and to go for it.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “That means a lot to me.”

“No seriously, you’re really persistent, Sapphy. It says something that despite everything, you’ve never once even considered giving up on your dreams. You’re determined like that.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

I smile, knowing she’s right. She knows much more about me than I would have. Even when I think I know everything about myself, Ruby is there to remind me that she knows that much more.

“So have you decided what song you’re going to sing for the contest?” Ruby asks me.

“I might pick ‘My Immortal,’” I reply. “It’s actually some sentimental value to me.”

“‘My Immortal,’ huh? It sounds pretty sad, Sapphire. Don’t you think you should go for something upbeat?”

“Probably, but the song reminds me of my mom...”

“I don’t know, Sapphy. The last thing I’d want is for you to remind yourself of your parents and what they did to you.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Still, I think I should just practice this song anyway. I don’t know what the other contestants might be singing, but hopefully I might be able to pull this off.”

“I hope so, too, Sapphy. You’re really talented. I’m sure you can pull this off.”

* * *

The next day, I decide to take Ruby and Garnet with me while I help Rose and Greg look for baby stuff. I’m especially wondering how Garnet will handle this little shopping excursion of ours. It’s been about four years since she was last inside a baby store. Surely, she’ll know that feeling she got when she was a baby and she would mingle with other children her age inside the store.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Ruby, Garnet, Rose, Greg, and I are inside the store, looking through whatever baby furniture we can find. There are also some neat onesies and baby clothes here, some that seem to be following this year’s popular trends. They seem pretty cute, I must say.

Focus, focus. We’re shopping for Rose and Greg, not ourselves. The time for us to get ourselves new baby clothes has past.

“Hey, guys,” a worker greets us. “How can we help you guys?”

“Oh, we’re just looking around,” I reply. “My girlfriend and I are looking for something for our good friend Rose and her partner Greg.”

“Ah, I see. Are Rose and Greg expecting right now?”

“Yes, actually, they are. Rose has been starting to show right now.”

“Well, congratulations! Best of luck to them! Do they know what they’re having?”

“Uh, no. I think they want to be surprised.”

“Ah. Still, congrats to them. They must be so nervous right now.”

I just nod my head. “I know Ruby and I were when I was pregnant with Garnet.”

“Yeah. Then again, I’m sure most parents are. Alright, you can keep looking.”

* * *

Three days after the shopping excursion with Ruby, Garnet, Rose, and Greg, I decide that today will be the first time I practice with a captive audience. The other times I practiced while alone were fine, but I think if I want to win this contest, I have to really appeal to my audience and find a way to win them over if things start to go south. Besides, I seem to perform better when there’s an audience anyway.

“So... what song did you say you’d play for us again?” Greg asks, having seemingly forgotten what I already told him.

“‘My Immortal’ by Evanescence,” I reply confidently. “Does that seem like a good idea to you guys?”

Rose can’t seem to help but wince at what I just said.

“What’s the matter?” I ask her. “Do you not like Evanescence or something?”

“Of course, but that song seems really depressing.”

“That’s what Ruby told me a few days ago.”

“I mean, do you have to stick with that song? Won’t it bring back bad memories?”

“Ruby brought up the same point. I mean, I picked the song because it reminded me of my folks, but... I don’t know. Why don’t I perform it first before deciding what to do next?”

“Go for it. Maybe it’ll be good.”

“Okay.” I clear my throat. “Here goes nothing...”

I start doing an acapella performance of “My Immortal.”

_I'm so tired of being here,_   
_Suppressed by all my childish fears._   
_And if you have to leave,_   
_I wish that you would just leave_   
_'Cause your presence still lingers here_   
_And it won't leave me alone._

Rose stares at me, starry-eyed at the sound of my voice.

_These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real._   
_There's just too much that time cannot erase._

“Sing it, girl!” Ruby cries out to me.

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears._   
_When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._   
_And I held your hand through all of these years._   
_But you still have all of me..._

My captive audience waits in bated breath for me to sing again. I give them what they want.

_You used to captivate me by your resonating light._   
_Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind._   
_Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams._   
_Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me._

Ruby whistles loudly. I can’t believe my singing is good enough to warrant that kind of reaction.

_These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real._   
_There's just too much that time cannot erase._

Garnet watches me, just as starry-eyed as Rose was to hear me fill the house with my voice.

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears._   
_When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._   
_And I held your hand through all of these years._   
_But you still have all of me._

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone..._   
_But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along._

Greg can’t believe it. He can’t believe how powerful my voice is when it comes to evoking the intense feelings “My Immortal” had in mind.

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears._   
_When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears._   
_And I held your hand through all of these years._   
_You still have all of me, me, me._

As long as I’ve stopped singing, Ruby and the others cheer for me. It makes me smile that I could evoke those kind of feelings in them.

“That was amazing,” Ruby tells me.

“Thanks,” I reply humbly.

“So do you know whether you still plan to play this song at the contest?”

“Mmm, I’ll have to think about it.”

“Ah, okay. Let me know when you’ve decided.”

“I will.”

Truth be told, I’m not sure I was ever going to sing “My Immortal” in front of Gustavo and Rogelio. They’d probably want someone who oozed hope with every lyric out of her mouth, someone who could inspire others to go for whatever makes them happy. I don’t think “My Immortal” could make them see that in me. As sentimental as the song is to me, I’m probably better off with something that could appeal to their sense of confidence and pride. Something like... a song called “Hallelujah.”

Yes, “Hallelujah” will work. It’ll work just fine.


	5. Chapter 5

Now that I’ve settled on “Hallelujah,” I can finally relax about how the record producers (and the audience) can perceive me. As my mother once told me, first impressions are everything. Someone can judge you based on that appearance alone, and it can determine your fate. It can determine what happens next in your life, especially if it’s something as important as a music concert... something that hundreds of people will be gathered for.

So anyway, I’ve decided to go out for lunch with Ruby, Garnet, Pearl, Amy, Greg, and Rose. It’s not at Kofi’s pizza place this time nor is it at the Big Donut, but it is somewhere somewhat fancy. I’m not sure I can call it fancy, though. It’s more of a family-style restaurant that’s decorated with the aesthetics one might expect from the New England region. The place itself has strange choices in décor: fish hooks and fishnets with the occasional bucket and rope for extra “rustic” quality. All the servers are even wearing thick red flannel like it’s meant to be a uniform of sorts.

Ruby squeezes my hand. "I always wanted to go to this place. It was too expensive back then. I'm glad we got to go together."

I smile at this. “Me too.”

“So you guys seem really happy today,” Greg can’t help but observe.

“When are we not happy?” I ask jokingly.

“Good point. So is there a reason why you decided to take us out to this restaurant?”

“Well, I guess I might as well tell you now. I’ve decided to swap out ‘My Immortal’ for another song instead.”

“Huh, neat. What song are you gonna sing now?”

“Uh...” I pause for a moment. “I was thinking of singing ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen.”

“Oh, cool. Are you gonna change the lyrics at all?”

“I might change them a bit.”

“Cool. I can’t wait for that contest in August. I bet you’ll be great.”

“Well, I’ll certainly try my best. Who knows? Maybe I’ll win, maybe I’ll lose.”

“No matter what happens, we’ll be there for you.”

“Thanks, Greg. I appreciate your support.”

The waiter sets down seven cups of water and seven complimentary buttered rolls.

Ruby motions to me. “Hey, waiter, this is my girlfriend Sapphire. She has dreams of becoming a famous singer. She’s in a contest now and wants so badly to win. Can I get a ‘Heyo!’ over here?”

"That's nice, ma’am," the waiter says. “But I need your order.”

Ruby perks up for a second. "Oh yeah, burger and fries for me. Don't skimp on the ketchup. What about you, Sapphy?"

I think for a minute, then decide. "I'll have the number four seafood special. What about you, Pearl?"

“I’ll have the Caesar salad,” Pearl replies simply.

“I’ll have the Margherita pizza,” Amy joins in. “The whole thing.”

“I’ll have spaghetti,” Garnet chimes in.

It’s Rose’s turn to give her order. “I think I’ll have the Fettuccine Alfredo and the seafood special and a cheesecake to split.”

Finally, Greg gives his order. “I’ll have the hamburger sliders. I hear they’re supposed to be good.”

The waiter nods. “Very good. I’ll be sure to let the chef know of your orders.”

We hand our menus over to the waiter, and he promptly walks off to report to the chain of command. While we wait for our food to come, we start talking amongst ourselves.

“Nice choices, Rose,” Ruby says.

Rose giggles and smiles. “Thanks. I’m ordering for two. I’m just two hungry to waste all that food.”

Ruby starts snickering at Rose’s pun, not because it’s cheesy but because she finds it hilarious. “Good one, Rose.”

* * *

After we’ve eaten our food, we all decide to head home and talk about what the future has in store for us. While we know for certain what will happen with Rose and Greg and we know what will happen with the contest I’m supposed to participate in, we don’t know that much else. We don’t know if I’m going to win the contest, and we sure as hell don’t know if Rose’s pregnancy will stick. Pearl is especially apprehensive of what may happen to Rose. After all, as we know, Black women are far more likely to succumb to pregnancy and childbirth complications than any other race.

Erm, anyhow, we talk about what the future has in store for us and then go on to do our own things. I start checking my Facebook to see what my Facebook friends will think of me singing “Hallelujah.”

“So...” I begin to type. “I’ve decided to change out the song I was going to sing for the contest. What do you think?”

As soon as I’ve typed those words out and posted them, I start waiting for a response. For about two minutes, I wait for a response from the people I added on Facebook. Any response is fine.

Ruby walks in and notices me staring at my laptop screen.

“Babe, are you gonna come to bed anytime soon?” she asks me.

“In a minute, Rube,” I answer. “I just gotta see if anybody responds to my news.”

“I don’t know, Sapphire. It might take a while before someone leaves a comment. Maybe you should check on the comments in the morning.”

“Yeah... you’re probably right. I’ve got more important things to worry about like practicing and trying to enroll Garnet for school.”

I close my laptop and then follow Ruby to bed. Tomorrow, I practice some more.


	6. Chapter 6

Several days pass. I continue to practice for the concert, and Rose and Greg are still somewhat in disbelief that they made it to the second trimester. Despite being only four months along, Rose is already complaining about how she’s been pregnant forever. We all try our best to keep her spirits up and assure her that she still has a long way to go. I hope it works.

After wrapping up my daily practice, I decide to head out for the beach and hopefully chat with Peri and Alexandra if they happen to be there. I actually haven’t talked with them much since I started the contest. I wouldn’t want them to think I blew them off or anything. As busy as I’ve been, even I know how important it is to talk with friends outside of home.

At the beach, I happen to spot Peri and Alexandra laying their towels down on spots they occupied near the water. I eagerly make my way towards them and take a seat in between. Peri only notices me when she makes a cursory glance at my direction.

“Oh, hey, Sapphire,” Peri says. “I almost didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, right.” I let out a slight chuckle. “I’ve missed you guys.”

“We’ve missed you, too,” Alexandra chimes in. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” I reply to Alexandra’s question.

Alexandra wiggles her arms back and forth. “That’s great. What have you been up to lately?”

"Not much. I've just been busy with the contest and helping out Rose."

Alexandra tilts her head at me. "Contest? What contest?"

I explain everything to her, from who Gustavo and Rogelio are to how I applied and even to how I had a change of heart about "My Immortal." The whole time, Alexandra and Peri look at me with wonder and amazement. I can tell that the contest is fascinating to them, if only because I'm a part of it.

"Awesome," Alexandra can only say when I'm done talking. "I hope you win."

"Ditto," Peri adds.

I smile at their support. "Thanks, guys. To be honest, though, I don't really care if I win. All I care about is that I gave it my all."

Now it’s Peri’s turn to tilt her head at me. “I thought it was your dream to become a singer. Ruby told me all about how you hoped to make it big.”

“Well, yeah, but I’ve been giving that some thought. If I actually win this thing, there’s a chance that Gustavo and Rogelio will want me and the family to leave Delaware for New York. Ruby and I already left our friends once. I don’t know if I want to do it again.”

Peri places a hand on my shoulder. “Sapphire, it’s okay. Even if you guys did leave Delaware again, we could still talk like nothing changed. It’d be like you moving to the United Kingdom all over again.”

“I... I guess. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving you guys again.”

“I mean, you could visit if you want. It’s not like you have to stop interacting with your friends when you move to another place or something.”

“Of course not, but it wouldn’t be the same.”

“It’ll be alright.”

“I know.”

* * *

Even a month before the contest is scheduled to start, the conversation I had with Peri and Alexandra still rattles around in my brain. I shouldn't be obsessing over it, but I am. It needs to stop. I've got a contest to practice for, even if my voice is worn out and scratchy at the end of the day. I have to wonder, though. Will the contest have been worth it? Will I have invested my time into this for nothing? Who knows? I've got to keep practicing. I have to. What other choice do I have?

Today, I’ve just finished up singing “Hallelujah” for the seventh time this week. I’m exhausted. My voice feels like it’s going to give out. My throats burns from how much I’ve used my vocal cords. My breathing is a bit shallow from how much singing I did in just a few breaths. I plop down on the bed I share with Ruby, about ready to drift off to sleep and let my body heal. However, I’m only lying down on the bed for about a couple seconds before Garnet comes in.

“Mommy?” Garnet asks me sweetly.

“Yes, sweetie?” I ask back, my voice currently raspy.

“You’re gonna win.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

I can’t help but smile at what she said. She always seems to know what will happen, even if I don’t. She’s confident I’m gonna win, and that confidence burns brighter than any star we can see in the sky. That confidence is enough to keep me going, if not her but for everyone who believes in me.


	7. Chapter 7

The day has finally come for me to perform in the contest. As it also happens, Rose is six months pregnant. She did it. She made it to the end of her second trimester. Now all she has to look forward to is the beginning of the third trimester. Hopefully, nothing happens that can seriously complicate her pregnancy. Lately, she's been complaining of headaches and kidney problems. I don't know what that's all about, but Greg has assured me that he'll let me and the rest of us know if anything takes a turn for the worse. For that reason, he and Rose have to miss my performance. It sucks that not all of my friends will get to see me perform, but I'll survive.

"You excited to perform?" Ruby asks me on our way to the contest.

I nod for a bit. "I'm a bit nervous, though. What if I choke?"

"You... choking? Like that would happen. It doesn't seem like you to get performance anxiety."

I chuckle a bit. "Yeah, guess not. Still, I can't help but wonder."

"It's not gonna be the end of the world if you choke. At the end of the day, you were willing to sing for people and that's all that matters."

I smile at her. "Thanks, Ruby. That... means a lot to me."

* * *

At the rec center where the contest is to take place, I immediately make my way backstage where Gustavo and Rogelio are. At this point, none of the other contestants have arrived yet. Good, I can just talk to Gustavo and Rogelio alone.

“Well, well, how are you today, Ms. Dahl?” Gustavo asks me.

“I’m good,” I simply reply. “I’ve been a bit nervous lately.”

“And why’s that?”

“Well, I’ve been afraid that I might choke. My girlfriend and my daughter both assured me that everything will be fine, but I still can’t help but wonder what might happen. Do you think I’m being unreasonable about this?”

“You? Unreasonable? Of course not. Lots of performers deal with anxiety.”

Rogelio nods his head. “I dealt with performance anxiety myself when I used to be a singer. I found that I was much better suited to working behind the scenes, but however you decide to handle it is fine by us.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I thought you guys would get mad for a second. So how much longer do I have to wait before everyone else arrives and we can start the contest?”

“Well, we’ve got about two hours to kill,” Gustavo replies. “In the meantime, why don’t you practice one more time? It might be good to get in that last practice session.”

I smile. “Okay.”

* * *

This is it, I tell myself. The moment for me to shine has finally come. I just stand there, trying to take deep breaths while a layer of sweat starts forming on my face. My good eye is looking up at the sky, asking the Lord for guidance, but it soon relaxes and goes right back into place. I'm too consumed by my own nerves to focus properly, but then someone calls out to me.

“Ms. Dahl?” I can hear someone call out to me.

I turn around to see a young lady whom I can only presume is Gustavo’s assistant. I can’t help but blush a bit when I see her, but I have to focus. I’ve got a song to perform.

“Are you ready, ma’am?” the assistant asks me.

I slowly nod my head while simultaneously trying to mask my lingering anxiety.

The assistant smiles at me. “Great. Since you’re the last person to perform, you should have nowhere to go but up.”

I smile back. “Thanks.”

I watch her sink back through the curtains, leaving me to deal with the hundreds of people in the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Sapphire Dahl!"

Everyone starts clapping as I trudge my way onto the forefront of the stage. In the audience, I can spot Ruby, Garnet, and our friends in the front row. It's a shame Rose and Greg can't be here right now... According to Pearl, Rose is in the hospital, struggling to get through premature labor. Behind my friends are the two record producers, Gustavo and Rogelio, who want to sign me on. I breathe for a bit before I start singing.

_Now I've heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do you?  
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,  
The minor fall and the major lift  
The baffled king composing "Hallelujah"_

Ruby whoops in the front row, just as excited to hear me sing as she was when we first met.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Pearl tries her best to watch me while also keeping an eye on her flip phone.

_You say I took the name in vain.  
I don't even know the name,  
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?  
There's a blaze of light in every word.  
It doesn't matter what you heard,  
The holy or the broken Hallelujah_

The two record producers lean forward, eager to hear more of my singing.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

My friends continue to watch me with awe. Pearl, however, still cannot seem to take her eyes off her flip phone.

_I did my best, it wasn't much.  
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch.  
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you.  
And, even though it all went wrong,  
I'll stand before the Lord of Song  
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah_

Gustavo and Rogelio continue to look at me, eager to just sign a contract with me already. For the rest of the performance, I keep them in my mind as I continue to fill the auditorium with my voice.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelu-  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelu-  
Hallelujah_

As soon as I've uttered the last lines, the crowd erupts with praise and admiration. The record producers seem especially impressed. I feel whole.

* * *

“That... was amazing!” Gustavo exclaims as soon as I’m announced the winner. “You really are as talented as we thought you were.”

I give him a little shy smile. “Thanks. Thanks for believing in me, you guys.”

Gustavo lets out a hearty laugh. “No problem, Ms. Dahl. I’m sure your aunt Golda would be very proud of you if you signed onto her record company.”

I chuckle a bit. “Yeah, I guess she would be.”

Rogelio then starts to speak. “Well, now that that contest business is out of the way, all that’s left to do now is to have you put your John Hancock on the contract. After that, you and your family will have to uproot everything to start your new career in New York.”

"Now hold on a minute!" Pearl starts to speak up. "As one of Sapphire's closest friends, I'd like to suggest that we ask how she feels about that. After all, she's lived here with her family for four years. Doesn't she get a say in this?"

"I mean, it _is_ up to her whether she wants to stay here or not," Gustavo says.

"Right. So why don't we just ask if she wants to---" She's interrupted by the ringtone of her flip phone. "Hang on, I have to take this."

Gustavo purses his lips. "Go right ahead."

Once Pearl takes the call, she stays on the phone for about twenty minutes. I can't tell what's being said on the other end, but Pearl's emotions range from intrigue to shock and finally... heartbreak.

"I... I see," I can finally hear Pearl say. "I guess I'll see you later." She hangs up.

"What happened?" I ask curiously.

Pearl just looks at me with a solemn expression. "Rose just died." Her voice is hoarse.

"Uh..." Gustavo begins to speak. "Pardon me for asking, but... who's Rose?"

"Rose is... a friend of ours," I tell him, not fully grasping what Pearl just told me. "She wasn't due for another three months."

"Oh..." Gustavo looks down with a sad expression. "Damn, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. If you and Rogelio don't mind, do you want to come down to the hospital with us?"

"If you think it'll help... sure."

We then start heading out for the hospital where Greg took Rose.


	8. Chapter 8

At the hospital, we manage to find our way to outside the operating room. As it so happens, Greg is sitting by the doors, barely able to contain his tears.

“You okay, dude?” Amy asks him gently.

Greg quietly shakes his head.

“Uh, maybe we should let him grieve for a bit?” I suggest. “He did just lose Rose, after all.”

“Wait a second,” Pearl starts to speak up. “If Rose is gone, then what happened to the baby?”

“He’s at the NICU, Pearl,” Greg tells her, still crying.

Pearl looks at him with raised eyebrows. “He?”

Greg sniffles for a bit. "Yeah... it's a boy. Rose told me that she'd wanted to be surprised."

"Do you have a name for your son yet?" Gustavo asks our good friend.

For a moment, Greg is able to hold back the tears. "Yeah. His name's Steven... like my uncle. If he'd been a girl, we would've named him Nora like one of Rose's old friends."

I don't know how he's managed to hold himself together like this, especially after he'd just lost the mother of his son. It’s probably taking him some amount of willpower to stop crying for just a second and actually put in the effort to talk to someone. For that, I can commend him. Then again, it’s good that Greg is letting all of his grief out.

“Any chance we can see Steven yet?” I ask Greg.

Greg just shakes his head. “He’s very weak right now. The doctors want to wait until he’s stronger to allow visitors.”

Understandable. Steven was born three months earlier than he was supposed to. It might take some time for him to catch up to where he’s supposed to be, but I’m sure we can help that boy get there.

“Do you want to be alone right now?” Pearl asks, still uncomfortable by Greg’s presence despite months of knowing him.

Greg nods. “Yeah, I think I’ll just stay here and grieve some more.”

* * *

The group and I relocate to the waiting room to finish talking about the contract Gustavo and Rogelio want me to sign. 

Would it be right to sign it now, especially after what Greg just went through? I mean, sure, it was my dream to sign on for something as big as Aunt Goldie’s record label... but would I be doing any of my friends a favor by leaving them behind while my family and I moved to New York? Would I be doing Rose a disservice by not honoring her legacy? This has always been my dream, but would now be the right time to go through with it?

“I... I’m sorry, Gustavo, Rogelio,” I begin to speak. “I can’t sign the contract.”

Rogelio looks flabbergasted to be hearing those words out of my mouth. Gustavo, however, can only stammer for a few seconds before he can sound coherent.

“Sapphire, you have to,” Gustavo urgently tells me. “Y-You won the contest.”

“No, I don’t. One of my friends just died giving birth to her son. I don’t think it’d be right to come with you guys right now.”

“Ms. Dahl, are you sure? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Of course it is, but to pursue it would be selfish. My friends are more important right now. I’m sorry.”

Gustavo sighs heavily. “Fine. If you’d rather stay here, so be it.”

Rogelio reaches over and pats my shoulder. “I’m sorry this happened, Ms. Dahl. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now. In the future, if you ever change your mind, just let us know.”

I watch as Gustavo and Rogelio get up from their seats and leave the hospital. I can’t believe I really just did that. Honestly, though, I think it’s for the best. As much as I want to be a singer, I don’t think I can pursue that dream while a man grieves over the woman who gave birth to his son or the woman’s friends grieve over their recent loss.

“Are you all right, Sapphy?” Ruby asks me.

“Yeah,” I lie. “I’m fine.”

“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I’m sure Pearl and Amy would totally understand if you signed that contract.”

“Maybe, but who knows how that would have gone down?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, Ruby. I’ll be alright.”

“Okay. Maybe next time, you can try again.”

I sigh. “I’m sure the opportunity might come around again, but then again, maybe it won’t.”

* * *

A week later, Greg has brought Rose’s cremated remains home. Apparently, it was her wish to be cremated. I can only assume it was so her ashes could be released out into the ocean during her celebration of life. However, Pearl has been hush-hush over why Rose would want to be cremated in the first place. Not even Greg knows what the motivation behind it was, but he seemed to just go along with it anyway because he loved her and wanted to respect her wish.

As for her celebration of life, Rose had said that she’d prefer that over a funeral since she thought funerals to be too sad. Instead, she wanted people to celebrate her life like it was a birthday party (minus the actual birthday). So we have to start making plans for Rose’s celebration of life today. We start by putting together a budget and scheduling a meeting with a funeral celebrant to host the event itself. 

Pearl has to insist that the budget not exceed $10,000 since the point is to celebrate Rose’s life and not the kind of money. Just to make sure we don't exceed the budget, Ruby and I have decided to DIY most of the decorations for this event. Surprisingly enough, Amy is also on board with this idea. Funny, I never took Amy for the kind of person who liked crafting. Garnet, of course, likes to help me and Ruby out. She may not fully understand why this party needs to happen when it's not about her, but she does know a thing or two about death: mainly that once someone dies, they can never come back.

With the budget having now been established as $10,000 and the decision to have most of the decorations be DIY stuff, it’s time for us to schedule a meeting with a funeral celebrant.

“Okay, so when did we say we wanted to meet Mrs. Gutierrez?” I ask in regards to our funeral celebrant.

“Wednesday,” Pearl replies. “Sometime around 10 in the morning. Maybe you and Ruby can come with?”

“Sure. Garnet should be in school around that time. So what about Greg?”

“He might try to come, but he’s been doing his best to visit Steven in the NICU ever since he was born. It might take at least a couple months before Steven can come home.”

“Ah, okay. Well, be sure to let Mrs. Gutierrez know that Greg may or may not come.”

Pearl nods. “Okay, I will. After that, I’ll have to plan out the rest of the details.”

I nod back and continue on playing with Garnet. Despite the sad thoughts that plague me, I’m able to keep a smile on my face while I spend some quality time with Garnet.


	9. Chapter 9

The final stages of planning out Rose's celebration of life are coming together. After much talking with our funeral celebrant and compiling together the number of guests who will be attending, it'll finally be time to hold the event tomorrow. All of us are eager to honor Rose's memory, especially Greg. He's been keeping an eye on the urn containing Rose's ashes ever since he brought it home. He knows that, after tomorrow, it will find itself empty and sit upon a shelf forevermore as something pretty to look at.

I start talking with Pearl over how everything’s gone. It doesn't take long before the conversation progresses to our fears about the celebration of life.

“I just hope we’re doing Rose a favor by holding this thing,” I tell her.

“Me too,” Pearl replies. “We can’t fuck any of this up.”

This is the first time I’ve heard her swear like this, especially where the word “fuck” is concerned. I’m not sure why she decided to break it out here, either, but it must have been for this one occasion only.

“So...” I start to speak again. “Are you nervous about doing this?”

Pearl seems to be taken aback. “Of course I am! Aren’t you?”

“Yeah. It’s just... I know how important this must have been to her. I don’t want us to screw things up, but... I’m worried something might happen beyond our control that we can’t fix. Like... I know Rose didn’t particularly care about everything being perfect like you do, but I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong, you know? Am I making any sense?”

Pearl’s face softens up and she places her head on my shoulder. “Yes, you’re making sense. I’m just as concerned as you are, if not more so. We all know how important Rose was to us. It should only be right to try to reflect that.”

“Yeah. It’s too bad Steven can’t be here to see it. I guess when he comes home, we’ll just have to tell him all about it.”

* * *

It’s finally the day of Rose’s celebration of life. We’re all so anxious to pull this off to the best of our abilities. Just about everyone is here: Peri, Alexandra, Sarah Donovan-Nixon, Mr. Fryman and his family, Kofi and his family, Bill Dewey and his son Buck, Lars and Sadie, Pearl’s sisters, Lars’s parents, and even Sadie’s mom Barb. I’m surprised Lars wanted to come since he probably knew jackshit about Rose. Maybe Sadie convinced him to go.

Anyway, everyone’s here, the decorations are all set up, the music is ready to play, the food and drinks are ready to be consumed, and Mrs. Gutierrez is front and center on the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mrs. Gutierrez begins to speak. “We are all here today to say goodbye to Rose Curtis, one of the nicest people we’ve ever had in Beach City. Words alone would not be enough to express how much of an impact she left on us and especially on her friends and family. Steven owes his entire existence to her. I hope someday that he’ll know of all the altruistic and noble things his mother did for us when she was alive.” She pauses before speaking again. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, my daughter Sabrina.”

Everyone in the audience claps and cheers while Mrs. Gutierrez steps down to make way for her daughter. Now it’s Sabrina’s turn to say something.

“Hi, guys,” Sabrina says. “I didn’t personally know Rose at all, but from what I hear, she was a very creative and free-spirited woman. I’m going to play a song now that I think fits her to a T. It’s ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry.”

Everyone in the audience claps again as Sabrina tunes her guitar. Once she’s certain she has it tuned, she starts playing the song and singing.

_Do you ever feel like a plastic bag_   
_Drifting thought the wind_   
_Wanting to start again_

_Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin_   
_Like a house of cards_   
_One blow from caving in_

_Do you ever feel already buried deep_   
_Six feet under screams_   
_But no one seems to hear a thing_

_Do you know that there's still a chance for you_   
_'Cause there's a spark in you_

_You just gotta ignite the light_   
_And let it shine_   
_Just own the night_   
_Like the Fourth of July_

_'Cause baby you're a firework_   
_Come on show 'em what your worth_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby, you're a firework_   
_Come on, let your colors burst_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down_

_You don't have to feel like a waste of space_   
_You're original, cannot be replaced_   
_If you only knew what the future holds_   
_After a hurricane comes a rainbow_

_Maybe the reason why all the doors are closed_   
_So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road_   
_Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow_   
_And when it's time, you'll know_

_You just gotta ignite the light_   
_And let it shine_   
_Just own the night_   
_Like the Fourth of July_

_'Cause baby, you're a firework_   
_Come on, show 'em what your worth_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby, you're a firework_   
_Come on, let your colors burst_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down_

_Boom, boom, boom_   
_Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon_   
_It's always been inside of you, you, you_   
_And now it's time to let it through_

_'Cause baby, you're a firework_   
_Come on, show 'em what your worth_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby, you're a firework_   
_Come on, let your colors burst_   
_Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"_   
_You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down downBoom, boom, boom_   
_Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon_   
_Boom, boom, boom_   
_Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon_

Immediately after she stops playing the song, the applause starts up again. She bows and then leaves the stage.

* * *

We’ve said all we can say about Rose, we’ve eaten and drunk as much as we could of Rose’s favorite foods and drinks, and we’ve had as much fun as we could. Now it’s time for the grand finale: Greg spreading Rose’s ashes out onto the ocean. Every single one of us watch in awe as Greg opens up the urn containing Rose’s ashes.

“Alright, Rose,” Greg begins to speak. “It’s time to set you free. We’ll miss you, babe. You were the best thing to happen to me and everyone here in Beach City.”

“Me too,” Pearl quietly murmurs.

Without any hesitation, Greg flips the urn upside down and the ashes spill out into the ocean below. When all is said and done, we all shed some tears, knowing that we will never see Rose again. Hopefully, despite the void she left when she died, her presence will still be felt in some capacity.


	10. Chapter 10

Three months later...

Steven is finally home from the NICU. His lungs haven't caught up yet, however, so he's still on oxygen for the time being. I bet he's happy to be home. He doesn't seem to understand what happened to his mom besides the fact that he knows she's not there, but he's fine otherwise. Greg is just as thrilled to have Steven home. Three months of waiting in agony for his child to overcome all the difficulties that come with being a preemie... it would bring anybody down to their knees. Greg spent three months never giving up hope despite doctors telling him that Steven probably wouldn't make it through the night. I don't know how he did it, but he did. For that, I can't help but be proud.

While Greg watches over Steven in the nursery, the gang and I are talking about everything that’s gone on within the past three months, mainly the celebration of life we held for Rose. How do we tell Steven what happened to Rose when he’s old enough to understand? How can we talk to him about death without sugarcoating it? How can we be sure that he’ll want to accept death as an inevitability? In fact, how can we be sure that he’ll want to know everything there is to know about his mother? These questions bounce around with us as we continue to talk.

“So what do we do now?” Amy asks. “Are we just supposed to talk to him about how great his mom was all the time or something?”

“Yes,” Pearl simply replies. “As much as it pains me to put Rose on a pedestal like this, I think it’s for the best if Steven only knows about the good things she did right now.”

“Yeah,” I rejoin. “Rose did a lot of good for us, especially Steven. He deserves to know how much of a great impact she had on him and us. We can be open about the other things she did when he’s older. He’s just a baby. He’s not ready to see the world as anything but good.”

Ruby nods her head, albeit a little vigorously. “We need to protect him with all our beings until he can protect himself. But until then, he’s going to need all the help we can give him to grow up safe and sound.”

Ruby’s right. We now have a chance to be the mothers Rose desperately wanted to be and more. We now have a chance to set right what once our parents did wrong. Ruby and I especially hope that Garnet and Steven will grow up together as if they’re brother and sister. We are a family now, and we need to pull ourselves together and do it for him.

_You do it for him,  
And you would do it again.  
You do it for her, that is to say,  
You'll do it for him._


End file.
